Hillary Clinton is gearing up for her campaign roll out and at that moment, there's no better target than the GOP-led Congress. Anne Gearan and Robert Costa have
the details.
In blasts of rapid-fire Twitter messages just this week, Clinton accused Republicans of waging a war on women, playing politics with a black nominee, shortchanging students, endangering the economic recovery and trying to yank health-care coverage for 16 million Americans.
The invocation of divisive issues such as abortion, race and health care was less than subtle. She also weighed in last week on a controversial open letter to Iranian leaders from 47 Senate Republicans — including several presidential hopefuls — in opposition to the Obama administration’s negotiations over that country’s nuclear program.
“No one considering running for commander-in-chief should be signing on,” she wrote on Twitter...
“Our nation’s future — jobs & economic growth — depends on investments made today. The GOP budget fails Americans on these principles,” Clinton tweeted Tuesday night.
Clinton still hasn't announced her candidacy but that is reportedly coming in April, as she staffs up in states like Iowa.
Meanwhile, the Republican Congress has provided a laugh a minute ever since January—unless you were actually hoping Congress might accomplish something. Between yanking their own abortion bill from the House floor to another near government shutdown to Schock-ing falls from grace, Republicans have flat-out failed so far to provide even a hint of meaningful governing.
Of course, some Republicans see upsides to Clinton's approach. GOP consultant Rory Cooper:
“She may want to run against Congress, but the party’s nominee ends up taking the main role in setting the conservative agenda and the tone of the debate,” Cooper said. “Congress will have a role to play in 2016, but it’s the nominee who leads.”
To Cooper's point, Clinton
completely dominates every Republican candidate by double digits in a head-to-head to matchup.
And whichever one of those GOP candidates gets the nomination is going to spend the lion's share of his time trying to separate himself from the dysfunction of the GOP Congress if it continues at its current pace.